From the depths of despair

From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes more than sentries long for the dawn. O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin. Psalm 130 NLT

Do you long for God to forgive your sins? Or are you more likely to want God to forgive them but you are either too ashamed or too lazy to admit your wrongdoings? Perhaps you don’t want to think about your sinful nature. 

The psalmist longs for God and God’s forgiveness more than sentries who wait for the dawn. What imagery! Soldiers guarding the campsite: standing in the dark, damp and dangerous forest just wanting the night to end. Time creeps by, and their desire for the first lightening of the sky slowly builds. Will dawn ever arrive? 

The psalmist longs for God more than that. In fact, the psalmist is counting on God and God’s forgiveness. The psalmist knows of God’s love because of what God has done for Israel.  Not only will God redeem him from all the psalmist’s sins, but God will redeem the whole people of Israel from every kind of sin. God’s forgiveness and mercy is that wide and deep.

God wants to forgive you, too. Will you let God show you that kind of mercy?

God, I long for your forgiveness. You know I hold back, and don’t admit my shortcomings. I suppose I need to add that to the list of my sins. Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright Amelia G. Sims 2012